Games - Canadian

Abe Yanofsky - Mikhail Botvinnik, Groningen, Netherlands, 1946, was the most popular guess for the topic of my previous lecture on The most famous game in Canadian chess history. For Yanofsky's most famous game, the 14 year old was representing Canada at the 1939 Olympiad. In 1941 at his home town of Winnipeg, Manitoba, he won his first Canadian Championship. In 1943, the Maritimes took advantage of Yanofsky's Navy posting by hosting the Canadian Championship in Dalhousie, New Brunswick. In the final round of the 12 player Round-Robin, the two players with perfect scores met, with Yanofsky beating Charles Smith.

Throughout the Second World War, Holland was a friend of Canada. Canada hosted the Netherlands' Queen Juliana. She gave birth at the Civic Hospital in Ottawa, where the delivery room was declared not to be Canadian territory, so that Princess Margriet could be a Dutch citizen. The street next to the hospital was named Holland Avenue. Canada liberated Holland from the occupying Germans. Afterwards, Holland sent Canada a thank you gift that is still appreciated: tulips. So, Canada's Abe Yanofsky was invited to play at Groningen in the Netherlands in 1946.

With the war over, chess activity and chess tournaments resumed. Groningen was the first major post-war chess tournament, and also the most prestigious of these. Mikhail Botvinnik set out from Russia to prove his claim to the title of the world's strongest chess player. His aim was to wrest the title from World Champion Alexander Alekhine, and after the latter's death earlier that year, to claim the title. Former World Champion Machgielis (Max) Euwe of the Netherlands also aimed to prove himself worthy to reclaim the title he held from 1935-7, while trying to win this important event at home for his nation.

Botvinnik was in a tight race for first place with Euwe. After 14 rounds they were tied for first, well ahead of the others. Thus, Botvinnik needed to win every game, even with Black. In Round 15, he chose his opening defence for its chances for counter-play and victory.

This move surprised Yanofsky, as he had been expecting Botvinnik's favourite French Defence. [4]

2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7

(This, the Closed Variation, is much more suited to Botvinnik's style than 5... Nxe4, when Black may get a good game, but is compelled to follow the dictates of White, who has a wide variety of ideas. [1])

A common manoeuvre in this type of position - to switch the bishop into the long a7-g1 diagonal. [3]

20. Qd2

(The idea is to force ...Qa5, and then attack the pawn with Ne3-c2, though it does not work out quite that way. White could not reverse the attacking order by playing 20. Ne3 first, as Black could answer 20... Qb7 (or 20... Qa7) 21. Nc2 and protect his pawn with 21... Ba5. [3]) (If 20. Qb3 Qa5 21. a3 gives White the better game. [1])

A survey after the heavy skirmishing shows that Black has the two bishops and a better pawn position. White has a passed pawn, but a dishevelled centre position. If Botvinnik was given time to post his pieces, he would have a superior game. Therefore, Yanofsky embarked on a plan to use this passed pawn to prevent Black coordinating his pieces. [1], [3]

31... Qb7 32. b4 Na6

(Better is 32... Na4 and slowly to strengthen the position of his pieces and make his bishops work. [4])

33. Rxc8 Rxc8 34. Bd3

Black has a distinct positional advantage thanks to his opponent's weak b- and d-pawns. He should now continue with 34... Rb8 (or 34... Bb5). Instead he unaccountably takes the b-pawn at once and allows his opponent to get a decisive pin on his knight. [6]

The best that can be got out of the position, otherwise a whole piece goes. Black has been compelled to cede the exchange after all, and under conditions much less favourable than he could have obtained by sacrificing it on move 35. [2] Yanofsky's winning play from here on is exemplary and forceful. [3] Now Black has to give up the exchange in much less favourable circumstances than on move 35. [6]

41. Rxb8+ Kg7 42. Ne3 Qd2 43. Qf1 Nc5 44. Qd1 Qc3? [6]

The exchange of queens will lead to the loss of Black's d-pawn if coupled with pinning threats on the seventh rank. [1]

(In view of his weak d-pawn, Black's position is untenable. But he could have put up more resistance by exchanging queens 44... Qxd1+ 45. Nxd1. As it is, White gets a direct kingside attack. [6])

Meanwhile, Euwe won to pull ahead by a full point. However, Euwe drew his next 3 games, while Botvinnik won all of his to pull ahead by half a point. Both lost their last game. So, Botvinnik recovered from his loss to Yanofsky to win the tournament with 14.5/19, just half a point ahead of Euwe. Yanofsky won the Brilliancy Prize for this game, but finished in 14th place with 8.5 points (+4 =9 -6).

Game notes are from [4] which uses [1], [2], [3] and [5] as sources; and [6].